On June 25, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot inaugurated Karnataka’s first disabled-friendly park in Jawaharlal Bal Bhavan (JBB) at Cubbon Park in Bengaluru, built for children with disabilities by Mindtree and Bal Bhavan Society.
The park has been built at a cost of ₹3 crore under the guidance of health and child development experts. The park provides a safe, inclusive, and physiotherapeutic place where children with multiple forms of special abilities can play uninhibited by their mobility aids or the risk of accidents.
Designed in the shape of a turtle, the park consists of different zones for a wide range of physical, mental, therapeutic, and touch and feel activities. The park has a specially designed sand table for children on wheelchairs and a special swing. Tactile pathways make it easier for visually-challenged children to navigate their way around the park. To mitigate injuries from falls, all playing surfaces are made of a synthetic, non-toxic, and skid-proof rubber called EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer).